Steel wool machine



Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ETAL 1,894,448

I STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed March 29, 1928 10 SheePs-Sheet l INVENTORWILLIAM H. ROBBINS. karma/m F. 3050152, J12.

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WT RNEYQ Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL STEEL WOOL MACHINE FiledMarch 29, 1928 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvamonq WILL 14M h- EOBE/NS E/VDMOND F-BOEHLER, JE.

ATTORNEY? Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL 1,894,448

STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed March 29, 1928 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 munnmnaaams."mono F.80fHLER,JR.

.. ATTORNEY Jan. 17, 1933- w. H. ROBBINS ET AL STEEL WOOL MACHINE IFiled March 29, 1928 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 i l II Wan/1M H. Roam/Vs.

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UM'JJ iT'I'Om Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL STEEL WOOL MACHINEFiled March 29, 1928 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 mm Q V/L LIAM H ROBBINS THY/"0NDF'- BOf/IL 52, J2.

ATTORNEY;

Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed March 29,1928 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG-7 INVENTORQ WILL/4M H- ROBBINS P0 YMJND f"DOE/115R, JR.

I l I l I I AT ORNEYQ 7 Jan. 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL 1,894,448

STEEL WOOL MACHINE Filed March 29, 1928 1,0 Sheets-Sheet 8 ii D u E FIG.8

INVENTOR$ 1m 1.10M 1/. ROBBINS. EAYMO/YD r. Boil/52, J2.

figm ww ATTORNEY? Jan. 17, 193 w. H. ROBBINS ET AL STEEL WOOL MACHINE 1OSheets-Sheet 9 v Filed March 29, 1928 I 3 WWW i m fi T E a MM w mm m r Jn s R w A W W U Q r- I .H m f A M 4 Jan. 17, 1933. w. H. ROBBINS ET AL1,394,443

STEEL WOOL MACHINE I 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed March'29 1928 a .W N, Q 2a OM N T R wxw W0 w H mm, A MM 5 Z n u /L a V //I Patented Jan. 17, 1933UNITED STATES- PAT'ENTZ'OFFICE WILLIAM H. ROBBINS Ann mmoivn r. BOEHLBB,JR... or srmnermnn, onro, assrenons TO THE WILLIAMS COMPANY, or LONDON,01110, A conrom'rIoN or OHIO STEEL WOOL MACHINE Application filed March29, 19.28- serial No. 265,774.

Our invention relates to steel wool machines. I

It is the object of our invention to provide a steel wool machine whichoperates continuously upon a single wire that is looped aroundsupporting means, only one of which is driven, such wire being loopedtwice around the driving drum for every loop that passes around theidler drum.

It is a further object to provide such a machine of the vertical type inorder that wool may be cut from both sides of the machine s1multaneously. I

It is a further object to provide in such a machine loops of wire ingroups, such groups being spanned by a common cutting tool.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a novel form oftensioning means on the wire and of maintaining it on the driving drum.

It is a further object of our invention to provide adjustin means forrigidly and permanently holding the cutting in cutting position whenadjusted, but WhlCll may be modified in its adjustment to a very finedegree to get the exact setting of the ad ustment either when the wireis stationary or when it is moving, thus eliminating the necessity forshutting down the machine to adjust the tools.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fi ure 2 is a top plan view of the left hand end t ereof;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the entire machine partially roken awayin the center indicating the double looping of the wire on the drivendrum;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section through the driving and change speedgear mechanism;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the tool adjusting mechanism with thewire guide and wire tensioning means in section together with a part ofthe bed in section;

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan View of the tool holder;

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevation of the tool holder;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 6; s

Figure 10 is a section on the line 10--10 of Figure 4;

Figure 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Figure 4;

Figure 12 is a detail elevation of a portion of the grooving on thedriving drum Figure 13 is a similar view of the driven drum;

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic view in plan showmgthe arrangement of thelooping of the wire on the driving and driven drums.

Referring to the drawings 1 is a bed for the machine in which is locatedthe driving mechanism. This mechanism consists of a driving motor 2actuating through gears 3 and 4 the intermediate shaft 5 carrying aplurality of different sized gears 6', 7 8 and 9 which are in turnengaged by the gears 10, 11, 12 and 13 respectively, which are looselymounted upon the shaft 14 carrying the key 15 which engages with theslots 16 of the respective gears to key the gear so selected to turnwith the shaft 14 so that the shaft 14 may be driven through. the gearthus selected which are in mesh.

This key 15 is shifted by the shifting lever 17 carried on the shiftingrod 18 The gears 19 and 20, respectively mounted upon the shafts 14 and21, serve to operate through the shaft 21 the take-up drum 22, thefunction of which will be hereinafter described. This drum 22 isactuated through the belt 23.

The shaft 14 drives through the worm 24 the worm gear 25 which iscarried on the base of the drum shaft 26 of the drum 27. This drum isprovided with a series of spaced grooves 28. I

The bottom of the shaft is journaled at 29 in the base 1 while the topof the shaft is journaled at 30 in the top frame 31'which is supportedat either end by the end framev members 32. Mounted on either side ofthe machine are vertically disposed side frame members 33 connected attheir top and bot tom to the respective top and bottom members 1 and 31.

These side frame members consist of vertically disposed plates having aplurality of spaced projections 34 which carry in slots 35 the floatingwire guides 36, the slots belng arcuate and the bottoms of the wireguides 36 being also semi-circular. There is interposed between thesurface of the slot 35 and the bottomo'f the guide 36-anti-fr1ctionrollers 37 which are j ournaled in the sides of the slot 35. The face ofthis guide 36 is grooved as at 38 to receive a group-of wires preferably6 in number. 1

The back of this wire guide 36 is provided with a pin 39 which extendsthrough the projection 34 on the side Wall 33, 1ts rear end beingconnected to a spring 40 earned on a rod 41. The rod 39 projects throughan. enlarged slot'42 formed in the projection 34 and the side wall 33 topermit of the rocking movement of the wire guide 36.

Adjacent the take oil point on the side wall 33 to the driven drum weprovide a wire tensioning means to maintain the wire in taut conditionand in position. This consists of a cage 43 having a pair of spacedrollers 44 on which the wire 45 rides. Interposed between these rollers44 and arranged on the opposite side of the wire is a pressure roller oflargersize designated 46'having a shaft 47 whose ends rest in' spacedslots 48 within the "cage 43, the outer end of the cage 49 carrying thescrews 50,'the ends of which engage the shaft ends 47 press1ng the outerroller 46 against the portion of the wire wh1ch bridges the rollers 44thereby placing the wire under tension and maintaining it on the drum.

Turning to the, cutting tool setting mechanism, it will be observed thatthe cutting tool is a broad tool 51 which spans a group of loops of thewire. This tool is adjustably mounted by the set screw 52 in a cuttingtool arm 53. This arm is vertically adjusted by the set screw 54 in acutting tool holder 54a.

This holder is rotatably mounted on the shaft 55 in the bracket bearing56 carried on the side frame 33. On this shaft 55 is a worm gear 57which is en aged bya wbrm 58 to give a micrometer a justment tothe'holder of the tool it carries with respect to the wire 45. This worm58 is mounted upon a shaft 59 having a shoulder 60 engaging with theworm block to take the thrust at one end while 'the rear end of the wormshaft 59 is supported in a sleeve 61 threaded into the worm block at 62at the actuating end of the shaft. The shaft is actuated by the handwheel or knurled head 63. This worm block is detachably mounted upon theholder'by the bolts 64 and 65.

Thus, we provide a cutting tool that can be adjusted longitudinally ofthe wire, vertically of the wire and at an angle to the wire.

v [Method of operation The wire 45 is supplied from a drum or reel 66carried in a supporting holder 67. This wire passes over the idler drum68 which is similar to the power driven drum 27 and thence passesbeneath the cutting tools 51 to the driven drum 27 and thence passesaround the drum twice making a complete loop around the drum whereitpasses under the cutting tools on the other side of the machine.Cutting tools lnay be used either on one side or both sides. as theconstruction is the same.

The wire finally departs from the machine at the top of the machinewhence it passes downwardly over an idler shaft 68a carried on a bracket69 mounted upon the top frame' 31. This wire descends to the drum 22which is a winding drum that is tapered outwardly from the point ofdelivery from the wire to the drum which causes the wire to movelaterally, the free end of the wire being cut off at intervals asdesired.

This drum is actuated through the same series of power as the mainmachine but a clutch 70 is provided which permits a variable speedtake-up so that while the wire is maintained at a constant tension byreason of the take-up yet it will not be broken due to the increasingsize of the drum of wire which is being wound.

By the application of the power to a single drum considerable economy inmachinery and loss of power is effected, the power is applied throughthe wire at one place with the minimum of slipping.

The tendency of the wire to vibrate is reduced materially by having ittensioned by the double looping on the driving drum. The greater thetension the less chance for whipping and chattering of the tools.

It is further prevented by the very cheap but effective method ofputting a tension on the wire through the three steel rollers. Thistension can be adjusted on the groups of loops while the machine isrunning.

The cutting tools having the several adjustments may be adjusted whilethe machine is running by micrometer fineness which is heretofore notbeen possible.

In the operation of the machine, when the old wire is about used up andits rear end is about to pass in the machine the front end of a new wireis welded to the old wire so that a continuous wire may pass through themachine and the machine will operate without a shut down.

It will be understood that we desire to comprehend within our inventionsuch modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditionsand uses.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steel wool machine, a pair of spaced supporting sheaves, meansto supply and take away wire from said sheaves, said wire being arrangedto be looped completely about one of said sheaves and about a portion ofthe other, and means to drive the sheave about which the wire iscompletely looped, and cutting means for said wire.

5 2. In a steel wool machine, a pair of spaced supporting sheaves, meansto supply and take away wire from said sheaves, said Wire being arrangedto be looped completely about one of said sheaves and about a portion ofthe 1 other, means to drive the sheave about which the wire iscompletely looped, cutting means for said wire, and means to place thetension on said wire.

3. In a steel wool machine, a pair of s aced 1 supporting sheaves, meansto supply an take away wire from said sheaves, said wire being arrangedto be looped completely about one of said sheaves and about a portion ofthe other, means to drive the sheave about which the wire is completelylooped, cutting means for said wire, means to place the tension on saidwire, and means to guide said wire.

- 4. In a steel wool machine, a pair of s aced supporting sheaves, meansto suppl an take away wire from said sheaves, sai wire'being arranged tobe looped completely about one of said sheaves and about a portion ofthe other, means to drive the sheave about which the wire is completely100 d, cutting means for said wire, meansto p ace the tension on saidwire and means to guide said wire in groups of loops infloatingengagement with the cutting means.

5. In a steel wool machine, a bed spaced ing means for wires thereon,said parts beingv wire and means to remove the wire under tension. 7

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures.

WILLIAM H. ROBBINS. RAYMOND F. BOEHLER, Jr.

vertical drums so arranged that wire may pass around the outside end ofone of the drums and completely around the other of said drums, the wirebein looped from drum 40 to drum, means to supp y wire to the machine,means to remove wire under tension from the machine, ower means fordriving the drum about WhlCh the wire is completely looped, cuttingmeans for cutting the loops of wire, and means for driving the removingmeans.

6. In a steel wool machine, a bed, spaced vertical drums so arrangedthat wlre may pass around the outside end of one of the drums andcompletely around the other of said drums, the wire being looped fromdrum to drum, means to supply wire to the machine, means to remove wireunder tension from the machine, power means for driving the drum aboutwhich the wire is completely looped, cutting means for cutting the loopsa of wire, means for driving'the removing means, and means to permit ofthe variation of speed of the removing means with respect to the speedof the machine.

7 In a steel wool machine, a bed, spaced vertical drums, one of which isdriven, means for driving said drum, a side wall member, meansforcarrying a plurality of tools there- 05 on, guiding means for wiresthereon, tension-

